Ficus lyrata
Fiddle, Fiddle Leaf, FLF, Fiddly Fig
West Africa | Lowland Tropics
The Fiddle Leaf Fig is a veritable houseplant icon. Admired for their stately tree-like form with distinctly lobed leaves that resemble a violin (their namesake, a fiddle). The prominent veins and cheerful, bright green hue of the leaves also contribute to their striking appearance.
diva status, bright indirect, goldilocks, great heights, upright, floor, tree or tree-like, tropical, lobed
Always water thoroughly, but allow the top inch or two to dry out completely before watering again. Reduce watering in winter, allowing the soil to get up to 50% dry.
The Fiddle Leaf Fig prefers bright, indirect light and lots of it, but will enjoy brief exposure to direct light and can tolerate lower light conditions if you adjust your watering accordingly (and lower your growth expectations).
Can adapt to average room humidity, but will thrive in higher humidity, especially in the summer or hot, dry conditions (like near a heater). Your FLF will also appreciate occasional misting to help remove dust from their large leaves.
Adaptable to average indoor temperatures, but generally prefers the warmer side. Likely to complain with leaf changes or leaf drop when exposed to cold drafts or dry heat from vents.
FLF leaves are mildly toxic to pets and humans. Ingestion will cause mouth and stomach irritation and possible vomiting. Some people experience skin irritation when handling the sap.
Indoors, this plant can grow up to around 8-10 ft tall with a 3-4 ft spread (when mature and with enough light)!
Fiddle Leaf Figs naturally grow straight up in a column shape when young. They are not likely to branch on their own indoors, but can be trained into the so-called Standard or Tree-form through various pruning techniques. Works best on the floor or a plant stand once beginning to gain some height!
Large and distinctly lobed leaves that resemble a violin. The cheerful, bright green leaves also feature prominent veins.
FLFs are known to lean toward the sun—leading to lopsided growth, so do try to provide even, consistent light year-round and give your plant a little turn every few waterings to promote well-balanced growth.
In the wild, FLFs can grow up to 50 feet tall! But it is useful to note that the specimens we can grow at home are just little baby plants at a fraction of that height. In their native habitat, these little ones would be protected by the tall leafy canopy of mature trees. Fiddle Leaf Figs can also produce fruits that are a type of green fig. At home, they're not going to flower or fruit, but they still look fantastic!
Water
|
Allow top inches of soil to dry between waterings.
Always water thoroughly, but allow the top inch or two to dry out completely before watering again. Reduce watering in winter, allowing the soil to get up to 50% dry.
Light
|
Bright, indirect light.
The Fiddle Leaf Fig prefers bright, indirect light and lots of it, but will enjoy brief exposure to direct light and can tolerate lower light conditions if you adjust your watering accordingly (and lower your growth expectations).
Humidity
|
Extra humidity appreciated in drier spaces.
Can adapt to average room humidity, but will thrive in higher humidity, especially in the summer or hot, dry conditions (like near a heater). Your FLF will also appreciate occasional misting to help remove dust from their large leaves.
Temperature
|
Can adapt, but doesn't like sudden change.
Adaptable to average indoor temperatures, but generally prefers the warmer side. Likely to complain with leaf changes or leaf drop when exposed to cold drafts or dry heat from vents.
Toxicity
|
Mildly toxic to humans and pets if ingested.
FLF leaves are mildly toxic to pets and humans. Ingestion will cause mouth and stomach irritation and possible vomiting. Some people experience skin irritation when handling the sap.
Size
|
A popular plant for those seeking a larger specimen.
Indoors, this plant can grow up to around 8-10 ft tall with a 3-4 ft spread (when mature and with enough light)!
Format
|
Can be trained into a single trunk tree-form.
Fiddle Leaf Figs naturally grow straight up in a column shape when young. They are not likely to branch on their own indoors, but can be trained into the so-called Standard or Tree-form through various pruning techniques. Works best on the floor or a plant stand once beginning to gain some height!
Leaf Shape
|
Brilliant green with a large violin shape.
Large and distinctly lobed leaves that resemble a violin. The cheerful, bright green leaves also feature prominent veins.
Pro Tip
|
Rotate every few waterings for even growth.
FLFs are known to lean toward the sun—leading to lopsided growth, so do try to provide even, consistent light year-round and give your plant a little turn every few waterings to promote well-balanced growth.
Fun Fact
|
This plant can grow up to 50 ft in the wild.
In the wild, FLFs can grow up to 50 feet tall! But it is useful to note that the specimens we can grow at home are just little baby plants at a fraction of that height. In their native habitat, these little ones would be protected by the tall leafy canopy of mature trees. Fiddle Leaf Figs can also produce fruits that are a type of green fig. At home, they're not going to flower or fruit, but they still look fantastic!
Thrives in a rich, very well-draining potting mix—you can use a good quality potting mix labeled for indoor plants or make your own mix. You can try a 1:1:1:0.5 mix of potting mix, orchid bark, perlite, and activated charcoal. Ensure the pot has the appropriate drainage and don't forget to pour out any excess water collected in the drainage tray or cachepot.
Try to repot every 2-3 years in the spring, especially when tending to a younger plant. Increase the pot size by about 2 inches each time. Once mature and becoming unwieldily to maneuver—you can reduce your repotting frequency and switch to a routine of refreshing just the top few inches of soil. More on repotting here.
If you're not already planning to repot, you can fertilize during the spring and summer months. Once to every two months should be plenty. No fertilizer is necessary during the winter when plant growth naturally slows down. You can try a balanced liquid or water-soluble fertilizer—always diluted more than the recommended strength. More on using fertilizer here.
Pruning a Fiddle Leaf Fig with a bit of intention can be a great way to promote branching. The simplest way is to cut off a section of new growth. Plus, you can use these stem cuttings to propagate! In addition, it's always good practice to regularly remove yellowed or dying leaves and any fallen plant debris. Ensure your scissors or pruners are sanitized to avoid spreading disease or pests. More on branching here.
If you pruned your FLF to encourage branching, you can also propagate with that stem cutting! This will be an apical stem cutting (the top of the stem where there is new growth). Trim the stem back a bit, if needed, leaving a decent section with 3-4 leaves and make the cut just below the lowest leaf. Remove the lower leaves to ensure a clear stem before rooting in water or another medium. FLFs are a bit more stubborn to root that other plants, so it can be helpful to dip the cut stem in rooting hormone first. Once the roots are a few inches long you can pot up your new Fiddle Leaf! More on propagation techniques here.
Ficus are hugely popular houseplants with many tree-like varieties, ranging from the Rubber Tree to Ficus Audrey, Ficus Benjamina, Ficus Ginseng, and beyond. You may also see a Fiddle Leaf Fig variant called 'Bambino', which is simply a dwarf version!
Leaves dropping in droves! Many leaves have suddenly died off.
Fiddle Leaf Figs are particularly sensitive to environmental changes. The most common culprits are sudden temperature changes (when exposed to cold drafts or dry heat from vents) and big moves (from the nursery to your home or simply from one part of your house to another).
Try to avoid any shocks to the system by introducing change gradually (when possible). For example, if you want to move a plant from their preferred bright light to a lower light location, do so for just a few hours at a time, slowly increasing the duration over time. Otherwise, you may have to accept some leaf drop and simply continue following the best possible care routine for your plant until new growth emerges.
Multiple leaves are wilting and turning yellow—particularly the older, lower leaves. You may also notice stunted growth and mushy stems.
The most likely culprit is overwatering and initial signs of root rot. When a plant's roots sit in waterlogged soil for too long, a fungal infection can quickly take over, causing the roots to rot (turning brown and mushy).
First, ensure that your plant has appropriate drainage (both in terms of well-draining soil and plenty of drainage holes in the plant's container).
If you think you've caught the overwatering early on, you can simply let the plant dry out more than you have been. Allow the top few inches of soil to dry out before watering again. Continue monitoring and only water when needed. You may also try using chopsticks (or something similar) to poke holes in the soil to help the roots get more oxygen. And finally, you can try to "wick" the excess moisture out of the soil by placing the whole pot (with drainage holes) in a tray or container with dry soil. This new layer of dry soil should soak up some of the excess moisture from the waterlogged areas around your plant's roots.
However, if you suspect a serious case of root rot, you'll definitely need to take a peak at the roots by removing the plant entirely from their container. If there are any black and mushy roots, trim them back completely before repotting with fresh soil in a new or sterilized container.
Larger grey or pale patches on a few leaves. The spot may look dried out and somewhat bleached.
When your plant is exposed to the hot sun, it begins to evaporate more moisture from the leaf surface than the plant can replace. Leading to bleached areas or large grey patches on leaves.
You may be pushing the limits on how much direct sun your plant can handle. Try moving it out of reach of those direct rays of sun or moving to a spot that receives only minimal direct sun in the mornings or evenings. While this should prevent further burning, the spots will not "heal", so it's up to you if you'd like to prune off the affected leaves.
Spots that sometimes look reddish or brown and resemble something like freckles spreading across the leaf. This is a fairly common symptom identified on Fiddle Leaf Figs, especially on their new growth.
This is an indication of something called edema (or oedema) and is a rupturing of cells from excess water. Edema can occur when you have an inconsistent watering pattern (like long periods of drought followed by large quantities of water). Basically the leaf cells don't have the flexibility to expand with the drastic influx of water, so they burst.
Adjust your watering to ensure you're giving your plant a thorough drink when needed, but not letting the soil dry out completely. Only allow the top few inches to dry out before watering again.
Dark brown spots, or areas, that may be in the middle of a leaf or on the edges. These spots tend to be larger areas with an irregular edge, not a nice neat circular shape. They may also look “wet” or saturated in the middle.
These spots are usually the sign of a fungal leaf spot disease. These kinds of diseases often go hand-in-hand with overwatering or an overly damp environment, which weakens your plants and makes them more susceptible to disease.
The first step is to isolate the plant to avoid spread to your other plants. Then, prune or pinch off the affected leaves. Make sure to be diligent in your removal of any fallen plant debris from the soil. Most diseases thrive off humid environments, so it's best to stop misting or providing additional humidity for your plant (for now). You may even try switching to bottom watering to ensure you don't get any moisture on the leaves. Finally, a regimen of neem oil could be in order, focusing on a soil soak rather than spraying the leaves (at least in the initial treatment phase).
Once you've removed the infected leaves, the disease should drastically slow its spread. Make sure that you keep the leaves dry and check them regularly. If you see any symptoms return, remove those leaves as well and continue your treatments.
